Flocked material and method of producing the same



July 21, 1942. s. R. HICKOK 2,290,238

FLOCKED MATERIAL AND METHOD OF PRODUCING THE SAME Filed July 3, 1940 [4 QM M a 511MB HM 2 :52

Patented July 21, 1942 FLOCKED MATERIAL AND METHOD OF PRODUCING THE SAME Stephen R. Hickok, Rochester, N. Y., Hickok Manufacturing Company,

casino:- to Inc., Rochester, N. .Y., a corporation of New York Application July 3, 1940, Serial No. 343,880

'1 Claim.

The present invention relates to protective sheet material and to a method of producing the same. More specifically, the invention relates to flexible, resilient, transparent or translucent sheet material formed by the polymerization of vinyl compounds, as for example vinyl acetate and vinyl chloride in mutual contact and which has been treated in a novel manner to render the sheet non-injurious to the human skin.

Vinyl compounds such as the acetate, mentioned above, form polymers of a soft and adhesive nature, and vinyl compounds such as the chloride form polymers of a hard, brittle and high melting type. However, when these compounds are polymerized in mutual contact, polymerization products which are elastic yet tough and extremely strong, as well as being transparent or substantially so are formed. Such A products are commonly known as Vinylite."

When formed in sheets, these products are admirably adapted' for use in forming various articles such as belts, garters, wrist watch bands and the like, on account of the elasticity, flexibility, toughness and durability of the product, as well as its attractiveness of appearance. However, products of this character, when exposed to the action of moderate heat, light, particularly ultra violet radiation or the actinic rays of the sun, or to certain catalysts, emit in- Jurious elements, compounds or solvents which aifect the human skin when brought into contact therewith for a prolonged time, although the nature of the injury is not altogether serious but rather is uncomfortable. The emission of such undesirable substances is continuous throughout the life of the product. For this reason, manufacturers have been reluctant to place on the market articles formed from copolymers of vinyl compounds which are intended for personal wear nextto the skin of the user.

The present invention is designed to overcome the above-noted limitation that is attendant upon the use of polymerized vinyl compounds of this character and toward this end contemplates a method of treating the sheet material by a coating process wherein flocked material is applied thereto which may be carried out either co-extensively on the sheet material or which may be a partial process. This being the principal object of the invention, it is another object to provide sheet material which has been thus treated and which may be formed into strips or lengths suitable for forming articles of personal adornment such as belts, garters, wrist watch bands, and the like.

Another object of the invention is to provide strip or sheet material of this character which nent union is formed in order that the protective used as will be more coating material will not pull loose from the material to which it is afllxed.

' Other objects and advantages of the invention, not at this time enumerated, will become apparent as the following description ensues.

In the accompanying drawing: Figure 1 is a fragmentary bottom plan view of a narrow strip of sheet material manufactured in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

Figure 2 isa sectional view taken transversely through the strip of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary top plan view of a modified form of strip or sheet material manufactured in accordance with the principles of the present invention, and

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken transversely through the'strip of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a sectional view similar to Figure 4 showing a different form of ventilated strip.

In all of the above described views, like characters of reference are employed to designate like parts.

According to the present invention, in the preferred embodiment thereof, raw wool or woolen material is disintegrated and/or comminuted until the particles or fibers thereof are of a high degree of fineness. The particles, which constitute the flocking material, are subsequently clearly explained hereinafter in the production of the ornamental sheet material. While wool is the preferred material employed, cotton or other eifective flocking material may also be employed. Sheets or films of regenerated cellulose, which may or may not be transparent, may be disintegrated and/or comminuted to produce the flocking material.

According to one mode of manufacture of the protective sheet material, the untreated sheets or strips of co-polymerized vinyl compounds which serve as the base are surface-heated, as for example, by a rapid ironing operation wherein one surface of the sheet is brought into contact with a heated platen or the like and is immediately thereafter removed. While the surface region of the base for the final product sheet is still soft and adhesive from the heating operation, and before the same has had time to cool and harden, the particles of flocking material are applied to the base in any suitable manner, as for example, by spraying or dusting. In practice, it has been found that the best results are obtained when the material is applied in excess over the entire surface of the base material. The particles adhere only to those portions of the base which are soft and adhesive from the application of heat thereto and, upon hardening of the material are securely afllxed thereto. The excess material is then removed in any well known manner as by a blast of air or by shaking or otherwise agitating the material, or operating upon the material.

The specific temperature to which the surface region of the base material is raised is variable according to the type of flock used, the depth to which it is to be applied, and the character of the Vinylite" base material. Whereas a temperature of 250 F. is satisfactory withcertain types of Vinylite", using a relatively sparse area of flocking, temperatures as high as 400 F. are required with with other types of Vinylite" where a dense area of flocking is desired. Irrespective however of the specific temperatures employed, the essential features of the invention are always preserved.

In Figure 1, the narrow strip of base material is designated at l and the flocking material which has been applied co-extensively to the underneath surface thereof is shown at H. Obviously, multi-color or single color flocking material may be employed in which case the transparent base material will permit visualization of the flocking from above the upper surface thereof.

In Figure 2, a series of perforations or holes in the form of slots, are arranged in a row medially of the sides of the strip of base material and on each side thereof, longitudinal narrow areas or bands of flocking material extend. The strips may be manufactured from narrow strips of the base material or large sheets of the latter may be formed by a continuous operation utilizing heated rollers or platens for effecting heat treatment of the base sheet, and v utilizing spray or dusting apparatus for applying the flocking.

The bands i6 of flocking material, when arranged on opposite sides of the perforations i l, serve to maintain the base product slightly spaced from the skin, while the holes or perforations provide ventilation for the skin through the strips when the latter are used in the manufacture of garters, belts, wrist bands and the like. A certain amount of protection is afforded the skin when the flocking is omitted and the perforations alone relied upon to provide ventilation through and around the band.

As in the form of the invention shown in Figures 1 and 2, the bands l8 may be formed by using colored flocking materials, the colors of which are preferably permanent.

In Figure 5, perforations 20 are formed through the base material 22 and flocking 24, thus affording an adequately ventilated strip suitable for personal wear in the form of a wrist watch band or the like.

Various changes in the details of construction of the strips may be resorted to and the particular arrangement or patterning of the flocking material thereonto may be varied as desired as well as may the arrangement of the perforations be altered to accommodate varying conditions of use or design.

What is claimed is:

An elongated decorative strip of base sheet material suitable for use as a'strap in an article of personal wear and formed of copolymers of vinyl chloride and vinyl acetate and having a coating of fibrous wool flocking material applied to one side thereof throughout spaced narrow band-like regions extending longitudinally of the strip and coextensive therewith, the area of the material existing between said band-like regions having a series of spaced ventilating apertures extending therethrough, the fibers of said flocking material being partially embedded in the sheet material, said flocking material serving as a gas and vapor barrier between the strip of base material and the skin of the wearer of the strap and also serving to maintain the entire body of the base material spaced from the skin whereby air may pass through said aperture in either direction and ventilate the space existing between the base sheet material and the skin.

STEPHEN R. HICKOK. 

